I did something right and stand by it: Dhoni

MANCHESTER: Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stood firmly by teammate Ravindra Jadeja -who was allegedly "abused" and "pushed" by England's James Anderson during the Trent Bridge Test - telling the media here on Wednesday that it was time to move on after the ICC announced that it would not appeal against judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis' "not-guilty" verdict against the home team pacer.
Asked whether truth had prevailed in this contentious issue, Dhoni came up with an indirect answer.
"In our society we have something called evidence, and something called lack of evidence. It went mostly on those lines and it's time for us to move ahead," said Dhoni, adamant that he had no regrets about speaking his mind on the incident.
"Not really. I did something that was right and I stand by it. If something wrong is happening I will go against it. If one of my players crosses the line, I will not defend him. He alone will have to face the consequences," Dhoni asserted.
He also dismissed suggestions that India had contemplated abandoning the tour after charges against Anderson were dismissed. "Calling off tour? That's a new one," Dhoni said contemptuously.
Dhoni saw no personal humiliation in the outcome of the quasi-judicial process.
"It was not between Anderson and me. We brought forward something we thought was unacceptable in cricket. It was not in my jurisdiction to punish someone. It was up to the ICC," Dhoni stated, making it clear that the main charge against Anderson was "pushing" Jadeja.
Asked whether he would carry a hangover of the incident into the Test, Dhoni quipped: "Usually I don't drink, so I don't get hangovers."
The Indian skipper, who had claimed that he had seen Anderson "pushing" Jadeja without any provocation from the latter, expressed his satisfaction at the fact that his colleague had been given a clean chit.
"The good thing that came out was that Jadeja's fine was revoked because, as I had said earlier, he had not been at fault -not even one per cent. It was all about the evidence.
"However, it will be really interesting to know what David Boon had found out on the basis of which he had fined Jadeja 50 per cent of his match fee," said Dhoni.
Interestingly, Dhoni refused to make a big issue out of Anderson's verbal volleys. Asked whether the ICC had missed an opportunity to rein in the temperamental English pacer, Dhoni said: "Look, the game needs strong characters. It doesn't matter who the player is, or from which side. The umpires must step in when individuals cross the line. What matters is that they remain within the parameters."
But is there a need to control players? "You have to tackle it at the individual level. I can take care of what is in my control. To a large extent, I can control the behaviour of my players on the field. However, at times a fast bowler says something after taking a wicket and I have no control over it because by the time you reach there, he has already said it. So it is up to individuals. At the end of day I want to be happy when I look in the mirror and sleep well," Dhoni said.
Asked why the Indian team has been involved in a number of controversies of late, Dhoni said, "With too much emphasis on winning games, killer instinct has assumed a different meaning. But the spirit of the game has to be upheld and guidelines followed in every sport."